TOWN-PLANNING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 83, 9 April 1929, Page 8

TOWN-PLANNING.

AND COMMUNITY'S WELFARE

A MODERN MUNICIPAL

NECESSITY.

DIRECTOR'S AUCKLAND WELCOME

Ait official welcome was given last evening l to Mr. J. W. Mawson, the new director of town planning, the function being 1 arranged by the Auckland Town Planning Association in conjunction with the Institute of Architects, Surveyors and Engineers. There were also present representatives of city and suburban local bodies. The president of the Town Planning Association (Mr. W. J. Holdsworth) pieaided. Addresses of welcome were given by the chairman, Mr. M. J\. Draffin, president of the Auckland branch of the Institute of Architects, Mr. E. Aldridge, Mayor of Devonport, and Mr. S. Donafdson, Mayor of Newmarket. Mr. Mawson gave an address 011 town planning, in which lie stressed the fact that in New Zealand town planning was not only necessary, but urgent and overdue. Speaking with reference to the lack of activity on the part of local bodv authorities in the matter of town planning, Mr. Mawson agreed that it was due to the difficulties inherent in the Act. and to a lack of public appreciation of the reed for and the benefits to be 1 obtained through town planning schemes. Ibis apathy was apparently an inseparable condition of the Dominion's rapid 1 growth. Some towns were expanding with great rapidity and others, again, 1 after a boom period, were dwindling in s importance. The public mind had not 1 yet thoroughly assimilated the impor- 1 tance of town planning as a means to s regulate the cost of public utilities, and thus to reduce the heavy burden 1 Os local taxation. Some interesting figures were instanced I r Mavvmn " wi *b regard to the » ♦ ion ' I ?° ,ninion ' s '"ban populad ff flen,onst, " t «l a definite } f "' m countrv districts to the towns • In round figure* taken over a ten year j pmod the rural population had increased T approximately 50.000 and the urban , population 200,000. This condition gen"

erallv complicated town planning conditions everywhere, as it meant continuous revision of schemes Tor the pro- . vision of public utilities. " "I doubt whether there is any other country in the world which can show such an increase in urban population," continued Mr. Mawson. ' These figures prove that town-planning is not only necessary in New Zealand, but also urgent and overdue. E The figures with regard to municipal expenditure and indebtedness were even j. more striking. Taking the boroughs only for the ten-year period 1918 28 7 the annual expenditure on new work i out of loan moneys had risen from , £38.>,449 to £1,497.871. and on main- | tenanee and construction from £2.402.28:} to £ti,lß(i.l 18. Tn the same period the gross indebtedness of boroughs had risen from £12.1."">0.384 to £27.002.027. with a ratio of expenditure rising during the period from £2 0/8 to £4 2/11 per bead of population. Mr. Mawson contended that town planning stood for economy in municipal expenditure and efficiency in administration. and its principles properly i applied would have done much to reduce this large increase of local body taxa- ' tion. Mr. Mawson contended that there was a definite statistical relation be- J tween the areas in which the various j functions of a town are carried on, and tha density of population and the use of the land within those areas. Width of 1 streets, dimensions of sections, size of 1 water mains and capacity of sewers were c all factors in determining tin-. proper * latio of cost of public works to the c people who used them. He believed that a in many cases Gtift roads were a prolific 1 cause of unnecessarily heavy expendi- * ture. and in some cases it 'would un- c doubtedly pay municipalities to give 1 portions of roads to the residents, pro- ' yidtng the building line was not interfered with. o "I am hoping that it will be possible in the Auckland metropolitan district to Jj secure that active co-operation of everv ( business man and the statutory local bodies which are controlling the principal ° services in the area." " £ ~.A tT of the lecture Mr. f W. .1. Holdsworth warmly thanked Mr. „ Mawson; supper was dispensed and the * floor was cleared for dancing among the ' ?nid!«»nce present. This morning Mr. Mawson met repre- h -entatives of the Auckland City Council ii iid rown I laninng Committee. He will i return to Wellington this evening, and ii later will revisrt Auckland to meet re- £ |;7 n, ; tlve . the Auckland local a authorities within the 1(